Dan Harmon Returning for ‘Community’ Season 5, Likely As Showrunner

A year ago, a mid-season shake-up at NBC left the fate of many of its shows in limbo. Attempts to reinvigorate its lineup and make way for mid-season replacements concerned one small, fierce fanbase in particular: that of Community.

Now, just weeks after the surprising news that the beloved (but ratings challenged) sitcom had been renewed by NBC for a season 5 following an uptick in ratings during the season finale, there’s more good news for Greendale devotees. The show’s creator and former showrunner, Dan Harmon, has officially confirmed his return on Twitter.

After tensions between Harmon and star Chevy Chase – among other things – saw the show’s creator fired before the end of season 3, a new creative team took over, with the apparent mandate that higher ratings were the only way the series would survive (a given for any network). While many believe that season 4 showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port did their best to keep the show’s spirit alive, a number of episodes were hit-and-miss or simply felt artificial. The season 4 finale left things on a high note, ratings-wise, as the show pulled even with American Idol.

Hope was renewed when Harmon was reported to be in talks to return for season 5. What remained unclear about that offer was whether or not he would be showrunner again or if he would take on the role of “consulting producer.” Today’s news raises the same question. He has already turned down the consultant job before, saying in a statement:

“Nobody would have to do anything I said, ever. I would be ‘offering’ thoughts on other people’s scripts, not allowed to rewrite them, not allowed to ask anyone else to rewrite them, not allowed to say whether a single joke was funny or go near the edit bay, etc.”

So it seems unlikely that he would take on the role he turned down once before.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that a deal is being formalized specifically for Harmon to return as showrunner, which will presumably be excellent news for Community fans (especially the ones who felt this past season was underwhelming).

What does this mean for previous showrunners Guarascio and Port? If Harmon’s deal goes through and he becomes showrunner again – which seems likely at this point – it’s possible that they could stay on in some creative capacity. More season 5 details should be forthcoming soon.

Are you happy to see Dan Harmon return to Community, Screen Rant readers? And do you want to see him return in the role of showrunner? Let us know in the comments.